The latest issue of T magazine’s Travel section is taking readers on a culinary journey through Italy, focusing on the beloved national symbol: pasta. The issue delves deep into the rich culinary traditions, regional variations, and complicated history of pasta in Italy.
One chef, Stefano Secchi, shares his fond memories of growing up in Dallas and spending summers in Sardinia with his family. He vividly recalls the epic Sunday meals prepared by his nonna, Gavina Secchi, where the entire extended family would gather around the table for hours of feasting, storytelling, and lively debates. These meals were a labor of love and a cherished tradition that has since faded away with the passing of his grandmother.
Secchi, now a chef and co-owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Rezdôra in Manhattan, reflects on how the changing times have led many Italians to move away from their rural roots, pursue different careers, and lose touch with the traditional Sunday lunch gatherings. The decline of this tradition represents a larger shift in Italian culture, where the pleasures of the table and the importance of family gatherings are slowly fading away.
As readers explore the pages of T magazine’s Travel issue dedicated to pasta in Italy, they are invited to reflect on the cultural significance of food, family, and tradition in the Italian way of life. The issue serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of preserving culinary heritage and celebrating the rituals that bring people together around the table.
